


i keep dancing on my own

by elsanoelle



Series: Let the music heal your soul [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bottom Tony Stark, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Daddy Kink, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Smut, Superhusbands (Marvel), Tony Stark Feels, Top Steve Rogers, hints of pepperony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-24 01:51:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14945388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsanoelle/pseuds/elsanoelle
Summary: Tony, after The Phone Call. He's not sure whether he wants to do this any longer.





	i keep dancing on my own

_Sir, Captain Rogers is requesting access to the lab_

_Lockdown, J._

_Duly informed Sir. However, he is insisting._

_Yeah? Don't care. Increase the energy field radius to 30% please?_

_Captain Rogers appears to be in a state of distress now._

_..._

_He is knocking on the glass panels . The panel's integrity remains at 91%._

_Is his face turning red?_

_Approaching an intimidating shade of purple now, Sir._

_/snorts. Good. Let me know when his head pops._

_Access granted: Override code RGS047295SEA-_

_Damn it, JARVIS_

_Tony_

_I'm working. Leave._

_Please don't do this._

_You are not supposed to use that code at whim, Rogers_

_We're seriously back to 'Rogers'?_

_Well you could have had a 'Stark'. But that's out the window. Get out, Steve._

_You're mad._

_I'm **busy**. JARVIS I need that 30% yesterday. Give me some juice baby_

_Tony will you stop tinkering for a second?_

_No rest for the wicked, Cap. You said it. We're doing all this til we **fucking** die. JARVIS!_

_Can you at least look at me? We need to talk about this, you're upset._

_Look, **you're** entitled to not want to marry me. **I'm** entitled to feel like a piece of shit. Good talk, now get out. _

_God Tony don't say it like that._

_Say it like **what**? ._

_It doesn't change how I feel about you. About us._

_Sure Steve, lets run with that one._

_Tony I **can't** marry you knowing I can't give you everything that you want out of it. I wish I was enough for you_

 

_Tony -_

_JARVIS where is my goddamn-_

_He's DEAD Tony why are you talking to him?_

_....What?_

_JARVIS is gone. Did you forget how you killed him?_

 

"Boss, we're approaching the Tower in 2 minutes."

 

_He's dead Tony. It's all your damn fault._

 

"Would you like to switch back to manual navigation?"

_You killed him Tony. And now, you're destroying us._

 

"Boss?"

"JARVIS."

 

_I had strings .....but now I'm free..._

 

"You're having a dream, Boss. We are approaching the Tower. Would you like me to mainta-"

 

_...there are no strings on me.._

 

"Steve I didn't kill him"

"Boss, you're destabilising. BP levels are-"

 

_Isn't that why we fight?_

 

"Steve please, don't."

 

_I have, Tony. I'm sorry but I can't. I love you. But I can't, not at the cost._

 

"STEVE!"

 

Tony jerks awake, causing the suit to swerve turbulently. He narrowly misses the Empire State before FRIDAY reboots the autopilot and restabilises the titanium-gold alloy suit. The red and gold beauty instantly steadies, hovering majestically above the clear New York City evening skyline.

"Holy fuck---Fry what just happened?"

"You were having another nightmare Boss."

_Nightmare._

_Okay._ _Not real._ _Not fucking real._

"We departed from the Barton residence two hours ago. You were having a severe anxiety attack as you fitted into the suit and you increased the oxygen concentration for respiratory assistance. When you lost consciousness I engaged the emergency protocols. The suit's course was set for the Tower.

Tony blinks. And blinks.

Processing. 

"I'll stay on the wheel," FRIDAY adds hesitantly, "if you don't mind," she finishes, sounding almost worried for an artificial intelligence.

He had passed out. He wasn't piloting the suit.

_The damn. phone. call._

He remembers now.

"Thanks, Fry" Tony manages, as his AI continues to update him on his vital signs. He feels bad for tuning her out, but he was unable to register her words for longer than a few seconds. His attention was glued to the high-rise before him.

His body floated in the Iron Man armour as FRIDAY navigates it back to the sterling building that he owns, once a beacon of hope for the city that almost got wiped out from the map five years ago. A city he helped save, at the near cost of his own life. The Tower, now on the market, still bears the Avengers logo on it even though it has long been vacated from any superhero activity. For a while Tony did take up residence there, but it has been nearly a year since he stepped foot in the premises, opting to instead move into his family mansion a half hour drive away.

Before long, the armour lands gracefully on the launchpad attached to his suite, located on the pinnacle of the skyscraper. The pathway blinked awake in a domino effect and soon the the entire penthouse came alive. 

 _Home sweet home,_ Tony thinks, but bitterly. He's barely spent 5 minutes at the Tower since they broke up - since Tony angrily told Steve to leave that early Thursday morning. And Steve just stood there by the bed, silently challenging him to mean it this time. But Tony never means it. And Steve knows this.

He walked away all the same.

If he had his way, Tony would have demolished the Tower instead of letting it go to someone else; he'd much prefer to get rid of its sight. The grand structure reminded him too much of Steve. In every sense, the Tower was where it all began.

The day Steve turned up at the Tower three weeks after SHIELD had fallen, with a duffel bag over his broad shoulder, a stupidly handsome smile and with an acceptance (finally!) of Tony's offer to move into the apartment Tony had built for him couple of years prior, Tony was smitten. Newly singled at the time, he wasn't even sure what that whirl in his belly was when he saw Steve that day. He dated women only in the past. He'd notice men too, but not like this.

Steve Rogers was something else. 

Of course Tony had no idea, at the time, that his phone call to Steve after the whole Triskelion fiasco had _that_ much of an effect on the supersoldier to actually convince him to finally move in. Tony was yelling 70% of the time anyway.  

_YOU ARE THE BIGGEST FATHEAD I KNOW. We're all Avengers - you should have called me for Christ sake DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO USE A CELLPHONE BY NOW_

_Tony you were on their Top 3 list. It wasn't safe for you to be here, especially after you trashed all your suits_

_Oh fuck you Rogers I don't need Iron Man to kick ass, especially yours. I can take care of myself._

_I don't see why you're so mad at me. Nat didn't call you either. Oh and by the way Stark? We took down HYDRA. Your welcome._

_Yeah? Congratulations Captain. So what, you gonna take a job at Starbucks? Because you're technically unemployed now._

_I survived Nazi Germany, I'll be fine._

_Pft. Of course you will. Listen. Come over. To New York. Offer still stands._

_The Tower? That big ugly- Rogers don't you dare - I'm kidding sorry can't help it. But you aren't._

_Nope. 100% serious right now. Romanoff too. Tell her Barton's already here. I had to yank him out of heavy gunfire when his squad full of HYDRA suddenly started shooting at him._

_**You** yanked him out? So you still have **a suit**. _

_Close to 900, last I checked. Mostly Tom Ford - personal preference._

_Ha. So what's the rent like these days on the upper east side? Like you said, I **am** unemployed. _

_I heard your potential landlord has a special rate for pretty blonds._

_Awh yeah? Must be my lucky day then._

_Must be. Think about it Cap. And for gods sake, call me. Wouldn't kill you to miss me._

 

The irony of that short telephonic conversation was not lost, given at present day Tony actually had a full blown panic attack when Steve finally learned to use a cellphone.

But the rest of their relationship after that, was history.

Aside from disagreeing over everything micro and macro, it was impossible for Tony to imagine Steve to ever purposely hurting him. Steve orbited him like the sun and treated him like a fragile flower petal, mostly so due to his super strength. Even though sex between them was explosive; because Steve had an insatiable appetite for pleasure, Tony had to constantly find creative ways to keep his lover satisfied. Dating an enhanced human who bottomed meant Tony had to always keep up, literally,  or find alternative measures because Steve could go a few rounds in one night and would still want more in the morning. 

It was only far into their relationship that Steve finally agreed to penetrate Tony, after the older man assured and assured and _assured_ Steve that Tony will enjoy it and that Steve was not going to hurt him.

 

_TONY Fuckkkk-_

_Yeah baby come on, fill me up. That's it -ah yeah don't stop- keep going baby take what you need_

_Tony that, that was incredible .. Are you okay?_

_You like that baby? Look. That's all you. I'm so full of you right now, fuck I might even get hard again_

_I love you Tony_

_Love you too babe. Come on, I know you're not done yet._

_No, it's fine. I've .. three times is enough, I don't want to hurt you_

_Steven, come here. This is for you as much as it is for me._

_But -_

_I've wanted your cock in my ass for months now. Don't you want to fuck daddy again sweetheart?_

_Yes .....yes oh fuck I really do. I want you so much_

_Then get to it soldier - AH FUCK- Yeah that's it baby fuck daddy hard just like that let me feel you all week_

_Oh daddy you feel so good, do I make you feel good?_

_Daddy loves your cock baby yesyesyes right there yes_

_I want, can I see you daddy? I want to see you when I come daddy_

_Fuck yes Steve oh what you do to me_

 

The irony of that encouragement was also not lost, given the scar that draped from collarbone across his chest and down his ribcage stood as bitter evidence of what the man could _really_ do to Tony.

Tony shivers at the memories and steps out of the armour, piece by piece, and takes a long, deep breathe of fresh air. His mind fought to be at ease, but he was feeling much better with his limbs free from the encasing metal. Yet at the back of his throat, Tony desperately needs to vomit. As soon as Tony steps through the entrance of his penthouse, he was ready to lift his shirt over his head and get into the shower but his halts as his eye caught sight of a familiar redhead.

Pepper Potts was wearing a black STARK INDUSTRIES hoodie and pyjama shorts, crossing her slender legs on his California King bed, waiting for him.

His bedroom slippers were at the foot of the bed; she must have worn them at some point, meaning she has been waiting for a while now. Pepper drops one leg over the edge of the bed but stays put, her red, watery eyes studying him sadly.  

"Pep..per? Hey what, is everything okay?"

The chaos in his head stills at the sight of his ex-girlfriend appearing in his bedroom at - Tony glances at the hologram clock over the minibar- _2.57am._ He moves towards her like gravity and she meets him halfway; standing and wrapping her arms around him dearly. 

"Hey. Hey hey hey, what's wrong Pep? What happened? Talk to me."

Tony sinks into the embrace, holding her firmly as he rubs the small of her back. She sobs into the crook of his neck and breathes a sigh of relief. After a moment, she peels away and wipes her tear-stricken face with one hand before bursting into a small giggle. They were still holding on to each other.

"Those are all _my_ lines, Tony. You are _un_ believable."

Tony manages to stretch a half smile. "So I've been told a couple of million times. What's going on, Potts? It's a lot sexier if you'd waited in silk, maybe a thong would be-"

Pepper punches him light on the arm, and Tony fakes a wince. "I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humour Tony. But this isn't funny."

"Sorry. I'm sorry. What _are_ you doing here? It's 3oclock in the morning. How'd you even know I was coming over? _I sure_ didn't plan this trip."

Pepper doesn't answer as she guides him to the bed and they sit across each other, their hands intertwined. She sniffles, calming herself down from the tears. "How are you feeling?" Pepper asks, placing a palm over his neck to check for a temperature, also to wipe off the wetness she had left on him.

Tony smiles weakly. "Been better."

"Where were you Tony?"

"Barton's."

Pepper nudges for more.

"Clint's back," he murmurs, looking into her hands, her long fingers. 

"Did he give you a hard time?"

He shakes his head lightly. 

Pepper sighs and lifts the weary man's chin up to meet his eye.

"Tony. I'm so, _so_ worried about you. When Friday told me you passed out in the suit, I imagined the worst. If I hadn't insisted on that blackout alert I wouldn't even know it's gotten _this_ bad. Your anxiety attacks have gotten worse to the point that you're passing out - I don't think I want to ask if it's happened before in the suit because you wouldn’t admit it would you?"

Tony chews the insides of his cheek, looking away.

"You either spend days without leaving your lab - the nanites, Jim's braces, the kid's suit - or you disappear to the farm. If we're lucky we'll catch a glimpse of you on TV appearing in Capitol Hill, or at the CIA. Or the United Nations. But you've shut us out, Tony and Jim thinks it's his fault you're like this and -" Pepper bites her lips, looks up to try not to cry - "he needs more than legs right now, Tony. He needs you, you have us. Don't shut us out. Talk to me," Pepper pleads, her eyes filling up again as she holds Tony's face.

He hated whenever he made Pepper cry from something he had done.

And right now she was begging him to stop self destructing.

"Now I need you, to tell me, what happened."

 

* * *

 

"WHAT?" 

silence.

A symphony of crickets filled the air. 

"....Tony?"

Steve's voice was cracked and shaken. For a split second Tony held the phone away from his face to look at the grainy caller ID for the sake of visual confirmation. Not that he needed it - he was simultaneously relieved and irritated to hear that voice he'd recognise anywhere.

_Of course it's me Captain Asshole- Did you give anyone else a crap phone with rubber buttons?_

Tony could hear Clint's footsteps twisting in the dirt and stepping away, knowing without looking that his former team mate was leaving him to face his demons alone. Tony glances all the same, and watched the archer's back heading to the dimly lit patio.

"I uh"- _swallows_ \- "how are you?"

_Oh we're not doing this._

_We are **so** past that. But if you must know I'm **fantastic** , been super peachy cleaning up your goddamn clusterfuck of a mess_

Because it was equally quiet where Steve was calling, he could hear Steve's irregular breathing and in his attempt to force a breath in through one nostril, a clear sniffle escaped.

It did not go unnoticed. Tony's air supply was halted momentarily.

"I've missed you Tony. And I'm so, **so** sorry for what I did."

_Ah fuck me_

Tony's hard walls began to chip at the mental imagine of Steve breaking down.

"I've been wanting to call you - I'm sorry it's taken this long," Steve adds.

Tony bit his quivering lower lip and continued to scream internally as his hands began to tremor. To keep the phone from sliding off, he pushed the receiver close to his temple with just two fingers and held the phone far away as possible from his face as though the device would burn right through his skin on contact. 

There was a pregnant four seconds before Steve continues.

"Tony? Can I uh, can I see you?"

_No._

_No no no you got some nerve Rogers_

"So we can -"

"Where?" Tony finally speaks, and immediately slaps himself on the forehead, regretting his own betrayal.

 _For fucks sake._ _At least let him grovel for two fucking seconds??_

_Tell me you want to come home._

_I'll make everything go away I swear._

"I can't come home."

_GOD DAMN IT STEVE_

"Not right now at least, not anytime soon. I don't want you to get into more trouble. I know we -  if it's not too much... can we meet somewhere else?"

_**More** trouble? Never mind my cracked sternum and that jukebox they fixed in my chest for for three weeks, you fucked over 117 countries so you can skip town with your goddamn murderer boyfriend, Clint is now an international fugitive with four mouths to feed, Rhodey is a cripple SO IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH CAN YOU STOP BEING A CONCEITED LITTLE SHIT_

Tony rubbed his face roughly and bit a balled fist, trying to remind himself what Clint had just told him; that the two of them need to talk. That right now, Steve was trying. He's made the first move, which Tony never expected at all. Deep down, Tony has accepted that at some point, a conversation must take place sooner or later. Whether it does them fuck all, was secondary.

Caught in a dilemma of whether to lash out at Steve or be civil about this whole meeting request, Tony silently wished that Clint was still there with him. The snarky assassin had always had a knack of getting through to Tony. But still stuck in his head, Tony did not realise he had been unresponsive for far too long that Steve started to sound desperate.

"Tony I understand if you don't want to see me at all. I know that we've created a problem bigger than our own but right now I need, _I want_ to make it right by you. Give me one chance to explain myself better - _better than Siberia? That shield across my chest was fucking poetic by the way_  -  and if after that, if you can't bring yourself to forgive me, I'll never bring us up again. I'll stay on my side."

A heavy tear flows over Tony's left lower lash, and the hurting man quickly wiped the drop away, hiding his pain from the shadows of the night.

 _There isn't an_ us _anymore, Rogers. Yet I'd give up everything for you to come home._

_Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone._

Steve sighed deeply, tired of talking to himself and Tony could feel the soldier ready to hang up the phone. Tony's heart rate spiked, already regretting his last thought.

"Thank you for answering my call Tony. You didn't have to at all."

"I'll be there."

..

"Tony?"

"You want to meet? Fine. Send me a text where and when. Don't ever call me again. I've got enough bullets to dodge- not that you care to take one for me these days," Tony said coldly, the only way he could ensure his voice remained steady. He felt his anger flaring, and knew that if the conversation went on any further, he was going to go full asshole on Steve.

"Got to go," he finished before forcing his fingers to snap the phone shut.

That was when the palpitations in his chest intensified.

His heart was quickly pounding its way into his ears. His lungs were expanding and collapsing unsteadily, so much so that he immediately summoned the suit and upped the concentration of oxygen to help him breathe. He couldn't even see straight with sweat trickling over his eyelashes. 

All he knew is that he needed to go. 

He needed to go home.

 

* * *

 

Tony starts to cry, _really_ cry as he bows his face, hiding it from Pepper. She pulls him closer to her chest, soothing him through his sobbing. "Oh Tony, baby shhhh it's okay" Pepper coos, slinging her arm around his shoulder and cradling his head to her, her fingers through his hair. 

"It's okay Tony. Just let it out."

Tony feels stupid. He feels weak. He feels betrayed by himself for easily caving in on Steve's request without a moments' hesitation. It was a case of his head and his heart being on opposite sides of the same pole. How could he still obsessively crave for a man who bludgeoned him into the ground after being caught lying to him about the murder of his parents, for the sake of the protecting the murderer? And this man was possibly Steve's new flame?

At that moment, Tony doesn't seem to care anymore.

He was so so tired of trying to figure everything out, and failing.

After drawing in a long hard breathe, Tony coughs roughly and clears his throat to force himself to stop crying. He rubs his eyes with the sole of his palms and looks up to Pepper, faking a smile.

"He called. The bastard called me."

Pepper frowns sadly, knowing without asking who the term of endearment was meant for. 

"Is he coming back?"

"Nope," Tony says, rubbing his nose a little. He sniffles. 

"But he wants to see me," he adds.

" _See_ you? If he's not -- Steve expects you to what, break _more_ laws to _secretly_ meet him? Is he insane?" Pepper spouts in disbelief. "Where?" She asks, despite genuinely annoyed at the stupidity of the request.

"I don't know," Tony says flatly.

"Tony, Ross wants you locked up because of him. Sneaking around the globe for a secret rendezvous is .... a tad romantic I guess. I mean," Pepper says, considering their options in her brain. "It's not _impossible..._ you've managed to cloak the suit for your trips to the farm and you can take the private jet..." She pauses, realising Tony had gone quiet.

" _Are you_ going to see him Tony?" she asks carefully.

"I don't know, Pep."

She says nothing at first, but pushes dangerously ahead. "Tony, I'm usually your voice of reason when you're about to do something stupid but this, _isn't stupid_. I think you should go."

Their eyes meet, his still red with tears and hers filled with love.

"Go to Steve."

Tony shakes his head, in denial. "You know what I can't get out of my head Pep? Barnes. Something's going on there. He was protecting Barnes like the man meant the world to him. I could have blown off the guy's head the way I blew off his arm but I didn't. Steve just went for me. He went to town with the shield."

Tony instinctively rubs his chest over his shirt, feeling the dip of the scar. "Now he wants to talk. After Barnes decided to hop into the freezer again."

"I've seen the suit's footage, Tony, I know you had the chance to ... _hurt_  Barnes. You wouldn't kill him -I know you. But you went after Steve pretty hard yourself. I'm not taking sides, believe me, I am still shocked at how far the two of you let things stretch. I think a lot of it had to do with all your unresolved issues with him, including Barnes and you let it get to you."

Tony drops his head in resignation.

"Did you know I asked him to marry me Pep?"

This, she did not know. Her head jerks back almost comically, her eyes wide and  confused.

"Yeah. Like an idiot, I proposed to him while we were at the uh Hamptons that summer."

"I asked you to go sailing but YOU SAID YOU HAD THE STOMACH FLU!" she says in disbelief.

He shrugs unapologetically, surprised to find himself able to joke around a devastating topic. "I had the ring in my pocket, I had a little speech ready and you know what Captain Perfect said? ' _Tony I love you with all my heart but you are all I'll ever need. Nothing more. Just us, exactly the way we are. Besides getting married is overrated_.'" Tony says, mocking a deep voice that sounded nothing like Steve's.

Pepper raises her eyebrows, unimpressed. "Was that before or after you asked him to marry you?"

"I didn't even get to the part."

"So you technically _didn't_ propose," Pepper concludes.

"I did! - well, _technically_ I couldn't. See, the bastard cockblocked me before I could get on my knee-"

"Like literally?" Pepper asks, looking pained.

"No he didn't whip it out or anything," Tony says, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Pepper slaps his arm. "TONY I meant you actually planned to literally go down on one knee? You romantic little shit!"

To this, the two former lovers laugh, finally inching into a better mood. More so for Tony.

"He wouldn't marry me Pep," Tony says, sighing. "He thinks he's duty-bound to throw the damn frisbee until the day he dies. I guess he'd consider marrying me if I stayed in the team for as long as he did. Ironman YES, Tony Stark NO."

Tony thinks of that one conversation they had, a random one that Tony decided to slip in a hot topic, and grimaces at the thought of Steve's reaction.

 

* * *

 

_Fine, fine, I'll indulge in your hypothetical question. Right now, I don't think we'd make good parents, Tony. Look at us. We argue all the time. And you don't even eat your vegetables!_

_Well yeeeee--essssss but what if I promise to eat all my carrots?_

_That's only half of my example_

_I won't argue with you on that?_

_Har-har. I love kids but it's irresponsible for us to have one. Not to mention neither of us can actually get pregnant._

_Uh we can always adopt babe. But why is it irresponsible?_

_I don't know how Clint does it. I know he loves his family but don't you think it's cruel? To Laura? He's always away, his kids don't see him enough_

_That's why Barton's retired now, Cap. He's making it up to them; he had a good run, now it's their turn._

_Yeah well, if I'd known.._

_You'd what? Fire him?_

_I wouldn't but I don't know, he probably didn't need to sit through **that** many Movie Nights with us you know? His family needs him, maybe more than we do. We'll get by without him, but if something happens to him in the field..._

_His family is ours too, I promise you if the worst happens, I'll take care of them._

_You're a good man, Tony_

_Yeah you're a lucky son of a bitch aren't you? So ... you're totally down with the idea of him retiring to raise his family?_

_Of course, absolutely. He's one of the original 6, I do miss having him around sometimes that's all._

_Original what?_

_Original 6. When we first started the Initiative? It was you me Banner Thor Nat and Barton._

_Sap._

_I'm old, leave me alone. We should go visit Clint sometime_

_Yeah?_

_Yeah. We can take up that room they let us share._

_Rogers you're a dirty old man_

 

* * *

 

"But then he blows a gasket when _I_  decided to retire from the team, yapping how there won't be anybody left to defend the fucking planet. I'm not an idiot, I'd been talking to some people and doing the ground work. That badass detective, the blind lawyer in the red spandex from Hells Kitchen. And Peter, god I swear I didn't scoop him out of Queens and hauled ass to Germany after a Youtube video marathon - I'd been studying the kid, with the idea of recruiting him when he's older."

Pepper feels sorrier for Tony, for all his efforts - they all seemed to have gone up in smoke.

"You were building a new team for the Avengers so you can retire peacefully," she finishes, reading his mind. "Tony ... does Steve realises that while he could probably live until 200, _you_ can't?" 

"He doesn't, Pep. I wish I had spelled it out for him when I had the chance. Maybe all this could have been avoided. Maybe he'd see it from my point of view. Maybe he wouldn't ... Jesus I'm pushing 50 in three years Pep. You take away the ice, the man is in his 30s. I don't know what made me think we could actually work."

Tony feels his eye warming up but immediately stops himself.

"Don't I deserve a fucking win?" he spits angrily.

Pepper envelops herself over Tony this time, calming him down. "You deserve the world, you hear me? If Steve Rogers can't fit you in his, you're better off without him."

"You listen to me Anthony Edward Stark," Pepper warns. "You are one of the greatest minds of this generation. You are beyond smart, you are very handsome and you happen to be my ex-boyfriend too, so stop selling yourself short with all this self-loathing. You understand?"

It manages to stretch Tony's lips into a smile.

She kisses Tony gently on the apples of his cheek. "I know you are hurting, I know what happened - Siberia - it was brutal. You came home looking worse for wear but I'd lie if I said I've never been more scared in my life. Because, you know. Nuke?

Tony chuckles, and he falls flat on his back onto the bed. Pepper follows suit, and they stare at the ceiling together like teenagers hopefully dreaming of a far away future.

"Take the suit with you when you go to him. Don't let him sweet-talk you into anything. Don't beat the crap out of each other again either. You will be okay Tony, you'll figure it out and come on top of this like you always do."

"What if I dont Pep? What if it all goes to shit again?"

Pepper turns her head to face Tony, her red bangs falling across her forehead. Tony instinctively reaches out and pushes the soft strands away with his fingers.

"Then you come home, Tony. You come home to me, to Jim. We'll be right here waiting for you."

 

Maybe it was the influx of emotions. 

 

Maybe it was the familiarity, the comfort he found in her eyes.

 

Maybe because tonight something finally felt right, when everything was going 200km in the wrong direction.

 

 

"Pep .. can I-"

"Tony I don't think-."

 

 

 

"...please?" 

 

He leans in.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Do leave some love if you liked this one! I always appreciate receiving them :)
> 
>  
> 
> title from : calum scott - dancing on my own


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